Don’t even think about making a career move without this key ingredient

I’ve been working in the career space for over 20 years. I have seen lots of career paths, including people in very similar situations, but who end up with very different results. It gives me a nice window into what to do and what to avoid!

I had two clients who were at similar inflection points – both mid-career, in busy, Type A banking roles, feeling unfulfilled and looking to me to help make a career change. One made the change, but the other did not.

The one who successfully made the change had the bigger job (so arguably more at risk), was in a smaller market (so fewer potential employers just by the numbers) and started our work together further away from her goal (she had no idea what she wanted to do unlike the other professional who had a new role in mind). What made the difference?

On the most basic level, the successful career changer put in more work. She showed up to all our sessions, having done the homework in-between, and applied everything we discussed. Over a year after we stopped working together, the other professional still had her same job, still hated it and still wanted to make a change. During our time together, she was a no-show or last-minute cancel to several appointments and pushed back on all the recommendations I offered.

Yet, I wouldn’t say the work they invested was the only difference (though of course that mattered a lot). Ultimately, the deciding factor was confidence. The professional who never put in the work and therefore never made a change didn’t believe her efforts would make any difference. She repeated that sentiment often when I would suggest a plan of attack.

Confidence that you will reach your career goal is a pre-requisite. I have had clients where I needed to shore up their confidence, where I needed to give them techniques to build up confidence over time and in the meantime give them ways to move forward. But at the very least, they were willing to jump in, at least let me be confident for them to start, and then gain confidence from there. The ones who find success decide that they will be successful.

?"It starts with a decision. Dedicate and commit yourself, or get out, quit." - Andre Agassi?(when asked how he climbed back to #1 ranking in tennis after slipping to #141)?

Building a strong personal foundation will help you feel more confident as you make your career moves. This is covered in Step 1 in my book on career change, Jump Ship: 10 Steps To Starting A New Career, and you can read the full step here.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is the founder of the Dream Career Club and a career coach, writer, and media personality on job market issues. She is a Senior Contributor to Forbes Careers and an adjunct at Columbia University. Caroline helps experienced professionals in tech, media, financial services and other industries make a great living doing work they love.

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